Lufis POV

"Goodnight Lufis!"

"Goodnight Dad!" I said as my father closed my bedroom door.

It had been a long day. The festival was fun, but I feel like Nathaniel seemed slightly disappointed in it. I thought it was cool the way the actors used firé gamic to enhance the play. The way they also utilized xetral to perform the strength feats were also very impressive.

And Trishia . . .

I have to admit that it was a little suspicious that Nathaniel wanted to go down that alley. It was almost like he knew that something was happening . . .

I was surprised to encounter a Nekohito. According to the history books, the Nekohito people had disappeared from the world. Of course there were all sorts of rumors; of a secret kingdom in the mountains, or in the dangerous Watire Woods, or in the sea, but nothing has been officially recorded to where they are now. Previously, Nekohitos were known for the quick reflexes and high capabilities.

Back to the history, the Kingdom of Nekohiton had previously been next to the Kingdom of Camiare. In fact, before Camiare was formed as a kingdom, the Nekohitos actually helped Roland in the fight against the demons from the south. The textbooks don't explain why, but the Nekohiton Kingdom untangled itself from interactions with Camiare and has seemingly vanished. There are tales of travellers encountering a Nekohito from time to time, confirming that they still exist, but nothing else is known.

If Nathaniel was here, he would probably ask something stupid, like "Um . . . Lufis . . . . . . who are the Nekohiton people? I don't know, please tell me???" Everyone knows they were a kingdom with a powerful military and economy that rivaled Camiare. And that the people have cat ears and tails, along with several other feline characteristics . . . . . .

I can already feel my cheeks go red as I turn my thoughts back to Trishia.

"Focus Lufis. You are the heir to the Lantideniz line." Saying what my father has repeated to me time and time again helped calm my thoughts.

Why was Trishia surrounded by those men?

They weren't trying to capture her as a slave, that's for sure. Otherwise they would haven't even given her the slightest chance to call for help. More likely she was to be taken as an important hostage . . . not to be harmed . . . wait . . . no . . . it couldn't be . . . .

. . . That would mea-

BOOOOOM!

The sound of an explosion nearby completely destroyed my chain of thought. Racing to the window, I looked in the direction I heard the sound. The only thing in that direction was some trees and . . . . . . . . . . . the Armis' house.

Drats.

Opening my window, I slide out of it on to the wooden roof that was over the front door. Then, using just in case, I jumped down the seven feet drop and rolled into a crouch. Then I started running toward the Armis' house.

As I ran, I was nearly bowled over by two running figures, one who quickly picked me up with ease.

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"What are doing Lufis?" My father asked.

"I heard an explosion from the direction of the Armis' house, so I ran as fast as I could." I replied.

"I shouldn't have come over for a drink." Arthur said, his worry clearly etched into his face. "I just hope Deldria and Nathaniel are okay."

Then, almost suddenly, we arrived at our destination. There was something in the air that made my hair stand up. Smoke was rising from the back or behind the house, which, I couldn't tell. It was dark, but the moon shining over the trees gave me enough light to see the light smoke, probably the result of the explosion sound I had heard.

"Beldria! Nathaniel!" Arthur called out as he ran into the house. Me and my dad followed after him.

Following the sound of Arthur's voice, we ended up in a room. Or what was once a room. It was nearly completed destroyed, like someone had a big amount of xetral in a firé gamic blow up in their face. Arthur was standing next to his wife, who was standing over a bed that somehow had survived whatever had happened. And on the bed was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathaniel.

He looked unconscious, and he had what looked like blue lights flickering across and around his body. Wait . . . . . . . . . not blue lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lightning.

This can't be . . . . . . . I must be overthinking this.

Nathaniel's mom was trying to do something to help Nathaniel, but as I tried to look, it seemed like it was getting darker and harder to see.

No, it was getting darker. The moon was gone, and in its place were dark storm clouds. Thunder so loud it vibrated in my head crackled from the sky. Big fat rain drops began to fall. In a matter of seconds I was soaked. I wiped away my wet bangs that had fallen in front of my eyes to as I edged closer. More thunder sounded overhead.

"Arthur, any idea what is wrong with Nathaniel!" Mikel shouted over the rain.

Arthur's voice was deep with emotion as he spoke. "No idea, I . . . I . . . don't know, I've never seen something like this. What am I supposed to do, I can't jus-"

"Calm down, Arthur. Focus. Your letting your emotions cloud your train of that. Think, you aren't a Tier 8 Xetralite for nothing." My dad said putting his hand on Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. I can only barely image the internal struggle he was having over his son's condition. Standing in the rain, with his hair and clothes plastered to his body, it didn't exactly depict the Arthur I was used too. Heck, I am surprised I haven't completely freaked out by now and start running in the woods while screaming.

Arthur's eyes suddenly snapped open. "Xetral poisoning. It's the only possibility left. Nathaniel must have reached Tier 4 somehow, and since he hasn't learned his deviant's , he suffered a backlash."

Shoot . . . . so my fearful dread earlier was correct. Normally xetral poisoning happens when a person reaches to tier 4 without learning their deviants , which is the gamic that allows a person to control their deviant. Each person must create their own through a process that consists of becoming familiar with your deviant. Normally xetral poisoning is nothing severe, just a fever that lasts for a couple of days. After that, the person must create their quickly otherwise they will get sick again.

But, no one ever blows up their room and is covered in something like lightning unless . . . . . .

"He's a unique deviant." Arthur said, "Nathaniel has to be a unique deviant. It's the only explanation. And from the looks of it, it has something to do with lighting."

Suddenly, the hair on my head and the small amount on my arms stood up. Time seemed to slow down as Arthur held up his hands and form a thick green rateh barrier protecting all of us around the bed. My father and Nathaniel's mom put their hands on Arthur's back, seemingly lending him their xetral. Someone shouted at me to cover my ears, and as I did everything flashed with a resounding boom.

When I opened my eyes, the rain had stopped and the clouds were all but gone. The moon shed its light on the landscape, revealing Arthur dropped on his knees, gasping. Nathaniel's mom was slouched on the ground, breathing heavily. My dad stood shakily to his feet.

My dad slowly wiped some of the mud that was coating his clothes. "So besides the lightning bolt that nearly killed us, is there any other obviously convincing dangerous evidence of Nathaniel's lightning deviant I need to worry about?"